Electricity comprises perhaps the most important utility in the modern day. Most modern accommodations and devices require access to the power grid in order to function. Even systems such as gas furnaces require electricity to power the electrical control systems which run the system from settings on the thermostat, internal sensors, and the like. While common household electricity is general in constant and stable supply, it is not uncommon for adverse weather conditions and other similar events to cause temporary power outages.
As stated above, electricity is fundamental to the functioning of many basic systems. Some systems such as gas furnaces may even been considered basic survival necessities, particularly in times of extremely cold weather during which power outages are actually more likely to occur. While backup battery supplies and generators are not uncommon, these systems do not provide a continuous power supply during such an outage, which can be problematic for systems such as gas furnaces. Furthermore, these types of systems can be difficult, frustrating, or even impossible for an average user to hook up to an existing hardwired system such as a gas furnace.
Various attempts have been made to provide apparatuses which provide continuous power to electrical appliances. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,889, issued in the name of Hu et al., describes an uninterruptible power supply apparatus for a diffusion furnace. The Hu apparatus provides circuitry with a switch designed to prevent interruption to the power supply of a diffusion furnace.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,340, issued in the name of Jones, describes an electrical junction box for auxiliary power. The Jones apparatus provides a method for the quick and easy connection of an auxiliary power source such as a generator to a single hard wired appliance.
While these apparatuses fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such apparatuses are not particularly suited to the design of gas furnaces. Also, many such apparatuses do not provide an automatic means for providing continuous, uninterrupted power during a switchover from in-wall power to the backup power supply. Furthermore, many such devices do not provide a means for the continuous operation of a gas furnace's controls from the provided backup power supply during periods of extended power outage. Accordingly, there exists a need for an electrical backup for gas furnaces without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.